On Friday, December 20, 2013, U.S. District Judge Robert Shelby struck down Utah’s ban on same-sex marriage, saying it violates the equal protection rights of gay and lesbian couples. As news of the ruling broke, hundreds of same-sex couples from around the state began requesting marriage licenses.

According to The Huffington Post, county clerks in Utah issued more than 1225 marriage licenses between Friday December 20 and Thursday December 26; at least 74 percent or 905 of those licenses were issued to gay and lesbian couples. The Salt Lake County Clerk’s Office broke its record of 85 marriage licenses in one day by issuing 353 licenses on Monday, December 23.

The State of Utah requested a temporary stay of the ruling, which would prevent any further same-sex marriages from taking place until the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit has had a chance to rule on Utah’s appeal. However, Judge Shelby denied that request. As a result, same-sex weddings will continue to take place in Utah pending the appeal, unless the U.S. Supreme Court intervenes.

Utah state officials have indicated that they will ask the United States Supreme Court (as early as today) to stay the District Court’s ruling. It’s unclear if the state will ask the Supreme Court for any additional relief at this point.

The request will go to Justice Sonia Sotomayor, who handles emergency requests from the region that includes Utah. Justice Sotomayor has the authority to decide this issue on her own or ask the other Justices to weigh in. We’ll be sure to update our site as soon as we learn more.

UPDATE: On January 6, 2014, the U.S. Supreme Court granted the State of Utah’s request for a stay of the District Court’s ruling. No further same-sex marriages will be performed in Utah pending the appeal. The federal appeals panel plans to expedite it’s review of the case, so many hope to see a resolution soon.

About Lina Guillen

This blog is written by Lina Guillen. Specializing in family law, Lina writes and edits articles on a variety of topics including custody, visitation, support, and the financial aspects of divorce. Before arriving at Nolo, Lina practiced family law and civil litigation at several law firms in the San Francisco Bay Area. Lina received her J.D. from the University of California, Hastings College of the Law and is an active member of the California State Bar.